Isaiah 35:4
Say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you.” (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 35
In Isaiah 34, God brings judgment on the wicked of the nations. So Isaiah 35 continues with the same time of judgment but the focus is now on the redemption of the faithful. God will bring a beautiful restoration to both His people and the land.
Isaiah 35:1-2 is a prophecy with many layers. It has already been fulfilled yet it still hasn’t been fulfilled yet. In Isaiah’s day, Judah was restored after the invasion of the Assyrians. Even today, Israel could be said to have fulfilled this prophecy. Today, Israel is a modern-day miracle. Israel is in the desert with limited resources and very harsh conditions. Yet it has achieved remarkable agricultural and technological advancements that have transformed this desert land into a highly productive area.
In the future, the world will also be restored after the battle of Armageddon and God restores it:
“For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God” (Rom 8:19-21).
This coming judgment of God has led to some having weak hands and feeble knees. When we are overcome by fear, we tend to freeze up. Our natural reaction to fear is to tremble and we struggle to move. But in light of God bringing a restoration, it’s time for His people to get strong and get moving. “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come… he will come to save you” (vs. 4).
That’s something many of us need to hear today. God is coming to save us so be strong! This is no time to fear. We have the God of all creation on our side and He is coming with vengeance against our enemies. This world throws all kinds of stuff at us that can freeze us in our tracks. Life is hard! But God is with us and a restoration is coming. Paul tells us to: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong” (1 Cor 16:13).
There was a time when even John the Baptist was struggling with weak hands and feeble knees. John was discourage and began to wonder if Jesus was really the Messiah. This seems crazy to me that John would have these doubts. The man that was raised from a baby to pave the way for Jesus was having doubts. After everything John had been through living in the wilderness, preaching about the coming Messiah and then baptizing Jesus and seeing God physically and audibly confirming Jesus as His son. This was the man now having a weak moment.
John was in prison at this time, so he sent his disciples to visit Jesus. He wanted Jesus to just tell him one more time that he was the Messiah. John wanted to be reassured that he hadn’t made a mistake. So Jesus says to them:
“Jesus replied, ‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me” (Matt 11:4-6).
Jesus was either using the idea or quoting Isaiah 35:5-6 directly in his message to John. Jesus was fulfilling the prophecies of Isaiah in real time. John needed to strengthen his hands and steady his knees.
It’s time for us to be strong. No matter what our circumstances, God people don’t have feeble hands and weak knees. God is coming. Be strong. A restoration is coming. He will come to save you.
Christ in the Old Testament 
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